Comments on: A Well Traveled Gamer

By: MadBrew

MadBrew — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:18:44 +0000

@Daniel: Your welcome. I was hoping I could bring a unique perspective to the carnival.

@Anarkeith: I agree, the experiences can definitely be leveraged to add details to the game; I just think that roleplaying games are not meant to be adventure simulators.

@Mark: Ah, but the journey could be grand. Instead of a sinking ship, what if it you were on a haunted train, or with a gypsy caravan that traveled through mysterious portals? I think the journey is really under utilized. I wouldn’t force players to sit through days of grinding march…

Thanks for the comments!

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:50:02 +0000

Nice perspective. Personally, I despise extended travel within games. All too often, it ends up with an overused plot hook like sinking a boat. Alternatively, its game days worth of sitting about waiting to arrive at the destination.

Using culture shock and communication barriers is a great idea. Under utilized by far.
.-= Mark´s last blog ..Gaming at 10,000 feet =-.

By: Anarkeith

Anarkeith — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:31:17 +0000

As a GM with travel experience, I usually try to leverage that to enrich my campaigns. I use maps and names from places I’ve visited. I transplant cuisine. I mentally record people I meet and make them NPCs. Logos become heraldry. Whatever I can draw details from to add flavor to the game. If you can’t afford to travel, check out a travel guide from the library about a country you’d like to visit.

I don’t have any combat experience (unless you count competetive fencing, which is a reach, I admit) but many of my friends are vets. I know from them that, as you say, adventuring is a tough business. I try to convey the discomfort in the circumstances I describe and simulate the hardships with situational penalties. I think you can respectfully leverage experiences, both positive and negative, into your games.

By: Daniel M. Perez

Daniel M. Perez — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:41:41 +0000

This right here is the perfect example of how travel influences games and what I was hoping someone would deliver. Thanks. .-= Daniel M. Perez´s last blog ..Ierne: The Raid =-.